Exploring Malaysian schoolchildren's perception of the advantages and disadvantages of the ToothPoly board game: a qualitative study

The effectiveness of children's oral health education (OHE) is determined by the appropriateness of the educational materials used, which can influence their attitude towards oral health. However, there is a lack of studies exploring the benefits of OHE materials from the perspective of schoolchildren. This study aimed to explore schoolchildren's opinions on the newly developed ToothPoly board game as an OHE tool. A qualitative approach using focus group discussions (FGDs) was conducted among 44 schoolchildren aged 12 years old from a public school in Malaysia. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit the schoolchildren. The ToothPoly board game was playtested and FGDs were conducted after the playtesting session ended. Data collection and analyses were performed concurrently until data saturation was reached. The data were transcribed and coded using Atlas.Ti software version 9.1.3 followed by the framework method analysis. Mixed opinions were observed among the schoolchildren with a majority expressing favourable opinions on the advantages of the ToothPoly board game as an OHE tool. Five themes emerged from the advantages aspect, i.e., fun and enjoyable, promote focus, attention and oral health-related learning, attractive board game features, and enhance peer interaction. Meanwhile, two themes emerged that were related to the disadvantages of the board game, i.e., "competition with online games and media" and "not practical for a large group activity". The findings showed that the ToothPoly board game was perceived as a useful, interactive, and enjoyable tool to learn about oral health in small groups. The findings of the study highlight the importance of tailoring OHE activities to fulfil the needs of specific target groups to ensure its acceptance and future success.